Archives August, 2012

Julie relocated to Port Charlotte in 2011 from Oak Forest, Illinois, a suburb just south of Chicago. Always passionate about helping others, she brings a strong background in caring for the needs of those she serves. These experiences became the perfect primer for her career as a real estate professional.

Prior to earning her real estate license, Julie and her husband, Michael, owned a property preservation business, where they worked to improve homes throughout southwest Florida in all stages of the foreclosure process. She also spent 11 years as a flight attendant, a role which further developed her exceptional customer service skills.

Originally from Mifflinburg, PA, Jamie relocated to Sarasota in 2002 and brings a wealth of experience in rental property management.

A broker-associate, Jamie worked with Siesta 4 Rent, Inc. for nine years prior to joining Michael Saunders & Company. This background helped him develop his excellent customer service skills and in-depth knowledge of the dynamic Siesta Key market.

For those in search of Anna Maria Island waterfront real estate, Tiffany Place offers an exceptional lifestyle softly swept by the warm breezes of the Gulf of Mexico. Set directly on the beach, Tiffany Place is a luxurious condominium resort of just 33 privately owned condominiums that are approximately 1,250 square feet. With units offering two bedrooms and two bathrooms, this community surrounds a dazzling beachfront pool and a lush tropical landscaped courtyard. There is a covered parking area and two elevators are provided for the convenience of its residents. (more…)

That Southwest Florida’s real estate market is in full recovery mode—with more homes selling, fewer distressed properties in the pipeline and prices slowly inching up—will come as no small comfort should you decide to buy just as choices in your price range begin to dwindle. Buyers typically preview several listings before discovering “The One.” Thus with inventories at a seven-year low, finding just the right home requires more fortitude than when our market had a huge glut of unsold properties to choose from.

This shortage will eventually resolve itself as more and more would-be sellers realize that their properties are worth more than they thought. In the meantime, not a few buyers are maneuvering around our market’s lack of inventory by purchasing vacant lots at today’s vastly reduced prices. The land a property sits on holds much of its true value. Thus, with interest rates and building costs at unprecedented lows—not to mention motivated builders coming off one of the slowest markets for new construction in history—now is a very opportunistic time to consider building new.

Drive down virtually any street west of Tamiami Trail, out on the keys—or for that matter throughout Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte Counties—and you can’t help but notice a growing number of new homes taking shape on choice parcels throughout many of the region’s most desirable neighborhoods. Not only does new construction afford the opportunity to build according to your own vision and specific needs, but also to have your new home situated in neighborhoods where land values are consistently among the area’s highest. Today’s quest for value, notwithstanding, “location, location, location” remains the one asset that will attract more buyers to your home over the long run. How often have you discovered the perfect house, only to wish it were somewhere else? (more…)

Have conference, will travel! There is nothing better than setting out to an industry conference for a few days of learning, sharing and networking. My most recent trip was to Kissimmee for the ICSC Florida Conference, held at the Gaylord Palms Resort. The featured speakers included Oscar Rivera, the 2012 Florida Conference Chair, and Gary Swoope, our Florida Secretary of Commerce, both providing great insight into the commercial retail economy and new trends in retail commercial space throughout the country and specifically in Florida. The conference featured over two hundred and sixty vendor booths filled with shopping center developers and retailers looking for new Florida leasing and development opportunities. It was impressive to see the significant number of retail operations interested in building or finding new locations for their restaurants, automotive, fashion, convenience stores, and more in the Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte county areas. It provided great hope for the future retail economy for our state and local markets. Commercial property owners who may be thinking about selling should be encouraged by this news as now is an ideal time to list a new property.

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Dan brings a longtime relationship with the Sarasota-Manatee community, having owned a residence here since 2001 before permanently relocating here in 2010. This enduring familiarity with the area serves as a benefit to his clients, who choose his expertise on residential opportunities throughout University Park, Lakewood Ranch and beyond.

Dan’s professional corporate background helped develop his strong people and leadership skills, involving higher level management roles and international interaction. In his past employment, Dan managed the corporate real estate activities for North America as the managing director and executive vice president with Kuehne & Nagel, a global supply chain leader. In this position, he was responsible for the Contract Logistics Division and over 15 million square feet of warehouse and office space. This experience created an excellent platform to transition his career to the real estate industry.

To enhance the level of service he provides homebuyers and sellers, Dan has completed courses in coaching and mentoring, leadership, customer excellence and effective negotiation.

Michael Saunders & Company is proud to announce several successful closings and leases made possible through the professional representation of our agents who work each day to fulfill the unique needs of commercial buyers, leasers and sellers. For the week ending August 18, 2012:

The time-honored axiom of the real estate business states that “all real estate is local.” Markets may closely resemble one another in terms of the conditions affecting housing supply and demand, but no two are exactly alike up close. Instead, it’s the specific conditions on the ground in your community, neighborhood—or even street—that determine what kind of market you will ultimately be buying or selling a property in.

Still we can’t help but be thrilled that markets across the nation are experiencing the same heightened demand, increased sales, declining inventories; and gently rising prices that have characterized our own market over the past year. These are the trend lines that will ultimately lift the housing market out of its worst slump ever.

A recurring theme throughout recent news cycles has been the trending recovery in national home prices driven by enough continuous demand to send inventories to their lowest levels in seven years. Needless-to-say, this is more good news for our own recovering market; as not a few buyers must first sell properties elsewhere before committing to properties here. (more…)

Michael Saunders & Company is proud to announce several closings made through the professional representation of our agents, who work each day to fulfill the unique needs of homebuyers and sellers. For the week ending August 11, 2012 the properties below sold for over $1 million.

Karen Greco and Kelly Turner of Michael Saunders & Company represented the seller of a choice waterfront residence in San Remo Estates. The property sold for $3,900,000 on July 30, 2012. Sotheby’s represented the buyer.

Ian Addy and Gail Wittig of Michael Saunders & Company represented the seller and Carol Cohen, also of Michael Saunders & Company, represented the buyer of a direct beachfront residence in The Sanctuary located within the Longboat Key Club. The unit sold for $1,162,500 on July 31, 2012.

Bernadette Caswell of Michael Saunders & Company represented the seller of an extraordinary bayfront estate on Bird Key. The home sold for $4,700,000 on July 31, 2012. Keller Williams represented the buyer.

Jon Partridge of Michael Saunders & Company represented the seller and Kathleen Callender of Michael Saunders & Company represented the buyer of a beautiful remodeled home. The residence sold for $1,175,000 on August 1, 2012.

Karen Greco of Michael Saunders & Company represented the seller of a brand new, custom built residence on Roberts Bay. It sold for $3,300,000 on August 6, 2012. Sarasota Beach to Bay represented the buyer.

Julia McClung of Michael Saunders & Company represented the buyer of a breathtaking Gulf front condominium at L’Ambiance on Longboat Key. The unit sold for $1,735,000 on August 7, 2012. Coldwell Banker represented the seller.

Linda Driggs of Michael Suanders & Company represented the seller and Nicole Hammons-Dovgopolyi of Michael Saunders & Company represented the buyer of an exceptional home in Lincoln Park on Hudson Bayou. The property sold for $1,137,000 on August 9, 2012.

Originally from Orchard Park, New York—a small town just southwest of Buffalo—Deborah relocated to Sarasota’s West of the Trail area in 1994 and currently resides in Harbor Acres.

Deborah brings an extensive background in design, having been an ASID designer in Boston for 35 years. She also owned a building and designing business for over 25 years. In these roles, she gained a keen eye to find the beauty in any property. This proven proficiency led her to establish a staging company in 2007, which she continues to run today. With this professional service, she stages listed properties to reach their most alluring appearance for potential buyers.

Entering real estate in 2010 was a natural progression for Deborah, who specializes in properties West of the Trail and throughout downtown Sarasota, Prestancia, Laurel Oaks and The Oaks.